Ripon Grammar School has changed the length of its school day on Mondays to finish an hour earlier.

The adjustment to the school day includes a shorter morning tutor time and slightly shorter classes to finish at 2.55pm. The rest of the week will be unaffected and finish at 3.55pm as normal.

A letter sent to parents on July 10 outlines that the extra hour will be used for planned teacher training and development which would support student development.

In the letter, headmaster Jonathan Webb said he hoped that this time would allow more time for planning the delivery of the curriculum and ensure accurate and timely information on student progress and assessments.

School buses are expected to run as normal on Mondays with students getting the same afternoon bus as Outwood Academy students.

The school will remain open until 5pm as usual. Students who rely on transport by parents are able to access the library during this time.

When asked whether the change would be permanent, Mr Webb said: 

As part of the post-covid education recovery plan, extending the school day was proposed.

This proposal was echoed by former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith this week who argued that the school day should be extended by an hour to help a ‘lost generation’ of covid children.

However, Ripon Grammar School already has one of the longest school days in the region. The earlier finish on Mondays is expected to mean that students can complete their home learning sooner. 

The school will still be two hours above the minimum week length.